Joan Kessler

A lovely and beautifully woven story of growth, truth, fear, and understanding. I really liked the narrative structure, with the characters spending so much time dancing around each other until finally realizing they could be partners. Mills touches gently but deeply on the heart, saying it's okay to feel, and share, all the stories inside you.

I loved the premise, and the cover is gorgeous. The writing comes across as modern rather than evoking the time period. The amateur-detective main character explained everything and stated the obvious repeatedly. I don't know if her naiveté was meant to be a charming personality quirk, but the fact that she'd worked as a riveter in a bomber plant during the war made her lack of little grey cells perplexing. I was left with no sense of her having attained mastery. Unfortunately, like Julia's mayonnaise problem, this just didn't come together. It was such a great idea for a mystery.

“Gripping his pencil made Jack feel stronger.”

Connected with that statement immediately!
Fun adventure story.

Adorable!

I've always loved the movie, so I looked forward to this read very much. And much like the wind that carries Mary Poppins to her destinations, I was whisked away into the story at the opening lines. The narrative voice of P.L. Travers is cosy and knowledgeable, promising a strange and delightful story about the goings-on at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, “for this book is all about that particular house.” The differences caught me off guard at first, and I missed certain movie storylines and characterizations. Mary Poppins is far more stern and snappish in the book, and Bert plays a smaller role. The story format was a surprise as well. Similar to R. Kipling's The Jungle Book, it's more a collection of stories, with some chapters focused on other characters. Still, it's pure magic.

Travers explores the blurry line between reality and fantasy, with all the nonsense, fears, and delights therein. There are times when the story hints of danger, but when Mary Poppins is around, things aren't always as they appear. “There was something strange and extraordinary about her — something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting.” There are some truly lovely moments in the book, even a dash of the metaphysical. And why not? After all, here is woman who travels by wind, whose carpet bag is bigger on the inside, who speaks Baby, and who is distantly related to a snake (a symbol of wisdom and renewal). Tell me she's not a Time Lord.

So happy to have finally read this book! It was difficult not to read in the movie character voices, so I didn't try. I love the framing of the story, and the illustrations for this 30th anniversary edition. I'm always interested in the way books are translated for the screen. There's more information in the book, natch, which just adds to the delight of the story as a whole.

A romantic paranormal comedy of manners mystery. Such fun!

A fun idea with some lovely imagery.

A book for all ages about the importance of dreams and the importance of discerning and understanding their meanings. Includes a usage guide in the back. A lovely, easy read with beautiful illustrations.

I wish this hadn't been the first time I read this book. I wish I'd had this book in my childhood.

A fun read. And I made an origami Yoda!

It's got all the feels, ticks all the boxes, and does it with wit, style, and efficiency. Brilliant.

I enjoy Smith's quiet, gentle, thought-provoking storytelling, his descriptions and dialogue place you in the scene. But there's not much action. There was certainly opportunity to make it intriguing. In the end, it was more of an armchair travel story, or PBS series, and I enjoyed it.

Being tucked into bed with your teddy bear on a blustery evening and being told your favorite bedtime story for the 97th time, setting the reset button in your mind so you can hear it again for the first time; it's that sort of feeling. Despite already knowing the ending, having seen the many film iterations, I still enjoyed the ride. Some will cry about its lack of action or character development, but I couldn't help playing all the character parts in my mind as I read it because the story is, as Poirot says, theatrical, and that's just pure fun!

Really good introduction to squirrels for kids (or anyone who just wants to know). Well organized, color photos, and a glossary.

Nice illustrations, brings it up to three stars.

An engaging read that gets to the heart of story with plenty of examples for reference. I love the takeaways pages for quick refreshers as well as the assignment pages that give practical applications. I haven't read her other books so I didn't feel the material was repetitive, as some other readers mentioned.

I loved the premise, and the historical cityscape is grounding for the reader. There was some nice character work and world building.

I do like quick-witted, flamboyant, quirky Jacqueline Kirby, and this story has plenty of wit and fluff, taking place at a romance writer's convention.

Both personal and informative, this memoir takes us through more than three decades of island life in Greece, from primitive yet idyllic living conditions to the eventual mass tourism sprawl years later. Full of colorful characters, native customs, scenic delights, and tensions from civil unrest and war, the character of Greece shines through this fish-in-new-water story. This is historical armchair travel with a personal tour guide.

There were flashes of Anne in Rilla in this book, and I wish there had been many more. The descriptive prose is lovely, and it was interesting to read their perspectives on the War. Overall, this series was too slow-paced for me.

Hudson's book not only sufficiently maps out the Heroine's Journey (aka the Virgin's Promise), it includes both the psychological underpinning of Jung's archetype theory as well as a comparison to the Hero's Journey, making it a complete guide. She uses plenty of film examples, and includes a section on story structure as well. But the title is awkward (I prefer The Heroine's Journey) and some of the beat titles lack the clarity of the Hero's Journey beat names. A recommended resource guide for writers.

I liked the premise, and Blanche is a strong character, but it was a bit slow-paced.

I always enjoy a visit to Flavia's world. Charming, quirky characters, a plucky sleuth, mystery, wit, and chemistry lessons. Delightful!

This book goes beyond the craft of writing. It not only presents an articulate structure of the heroine's journey (as well as the hero's journey), it also delves into the subversive nature and subsequent effects of storytelling in society, and the inherent dangers and opportunities therein. While the heroine's journey isn't new, it is a narrative usually regarded as less valuable than the hero's journey. And honestly, there is no good reason for that. Broader parameters of archetypes and story structure allow for a reassessment (in stories and in culture) of what it means to be strong, powerful, and smart. Carriger's book is witty, deep, enlightening, and completely absorbable.